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Superscoring – 3 Points to Consider

Punxsutawney Phil poked his head out on Groundhog Day and declared an early spring. But even if he’s wrong, spring is around the corner, which means SAT and ACT tests are in only a few weeks. You may have taken one – or both – of the tests already. But what if you rocked the math section and had a terrible day with the critical reading section? Are you pondering taking the test again to have colleges superscore your results?

If you haven’t heard, superscoring tests is when colleges receive scores from tests you’ve taken more than once. For example, say you’ve taken the SAT three times. In superscoring, colleges take the best scores from each section, giving you the best comprehensive score combination. It could be the tipping point to getting into your top choice.

But before you jump to the conclusion that this is a great option, think of these following points:

1. Will retaking the test help you significantly?

If you bombed the math section on the SAT but had a bad night or got sick before the test… retaking the test will probably help you considerably and verify other parts of your application, including transcript grades. If you barely passed your math classes and scraped by on the test, maybe it’s ok and other parts of your application stand out. In any case, talk with your parents, a teacher, and consult with your tutor.

2. Check the policies of the institutions to which you are applying!

Some colleges already take the highest scores from each section if an applicant submits multiple scores. Others will only accept one score from each test. Check with individual institutions before submitting multiple scores. If you did really well on a verbal section and retake but score lower on the verbal, higher on the math, is it worth retaking if a college will only look at uncombined scores? Again, talk with someone first.

3. Think about the commitment and your willingness to prepare.

Take a broad perspective for a moment and consider mental and financial commitments. Will taking the tests again stress you out and take away from current school work? Are you concerned about the cost of the retesting? If either answer is “yes,” you might want to reconsider taking the tests. Other parts of your application are essential, too.

Best of luck considering!

This article is titled, “Superscoring – 3 Points to Consider.” It was written by Marta Casey, who is a writer for Top Test Prep’s team.

To learn more about how you can maximize your SAT or ACT score, contact Top Test Prep today by calling (800) 501-7737 or visiting TopTestPrep.com.